PURPOSE:The role of abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer has changed because of advances in sphincter‐preserving surgery. Our aim was to evaluate the results of this operation in the five‐year period following introduction of the concept of total mesorectal excisionMETHODS:Data on all patients undergoing abdominoperineal resection for very low rectal cancer between 1992 and 1997 were collected prospectively. All patients had had total mesorectal excision. Curative resection was defined as absence of macroscopic disease after resection and local recurrence as any infiltration or tumor identified in the pelvis, alone or combined with distant disease. Survival and local recurrence rates were calculated using the Kaplan‐Meier method and log‐rank analysis.RESULTS:Of 165 abdominoperineal resections performed, 106 were for primary adenocarcinoma of the rectum. The male:female ratio was 50:56, with a median age of 65 (range, 33‐85) years. There was one postoperative death. Twenty‐seven patients received short‐course preoperative radiotherapy (25 Gy over 1 week), whereas 22 had a longer course, with concomitant chemotherapy in 2. Postoperative chemotherapy was administered in 29, postoperative radiotherapy in 4, and combined therapy in 8. After curative resection (n = 91), survival at five years was 76 percent and differed significantly by stage. Recurrence at any site was 7 percent (3/34) for Stage I, 27 percent (6/26) for Stage II, and 53 percent (16/31) for Stage III. Nine patients presented with local recurrence, with an overall rate at five years of 10 percent. Isolated locale recurrence was observed in only 5 percent of patientsCONCLUSIONS:After abdominoperineal resection and total mesorectal excision, good rates of local control may be achieved provided surgical technique is meticulous.